Been to Walmart lately?

[MrFun]

I really do wish you could come to the South. So many of the stereotypes you hold would be dispelled I do believe.

Expressing concern over voting rights abuse is stereotyping?

[Dinner]

The idea that a law that was enacted to prevent institutional disenfranchisement of millions of Americans citizens is a 'racial entitlement' is so incredibly offensive that it almost beggars belief.

Welcome to the modern Republican way of BSing. Also remember that in the last two elections Republicans, as a party, pushed in mass (all across the country), new laws specifically DESIGNED to decrease voter turn out among non-whites. It was their stated strategy. To paraphrase Republicans: "Those ******s don't vote for us so let's make sure they can't vote."

[giblets]

Expressing concern over voting rights abuse is stereotyping?

No, singling out the South and ignoring places like Pennsylvania is stereotyping.

[Alexander's Horse]

Thanks Monk. I have always wanted to go to a Walmart.

[Berzerker]

Why should a minority group need to be able to swing an entire district in order to expect representation? The reason laws like this are still necessary is because minorities are still seen as different and even when it's accepted that they need representation they are seen as needing separate representation. Politicians should always need to 'have to worry about protecting minorities', that should be a standard part of every politicians role. In a representative democracy the elected leaders are not supposed to only represent the people that voted for them.

politicians dont have to worry much if their district lacks minorities, they can risk making them a target rather than a valued constituency

The Walmarts out here are big, and pretty open.

recently paid my first visit to Cabelas, wow

[The Mad Monk]

The one in KC? Yeah, that's reason to visit in and of itself.

[Kidlicious]

OK, I have to go to Arkansas now.

[Berzerker]

yup, kc
i was expecting a big store and got a museum of dead critters with it

[The Mad Monk]

and live giant catfish, too!

[Berzerker]

thats right, really nice walk thru aquarium too

how could i forget

[Imran Siddiqui]

It was enacted for that, and I think in fairness to Scalia, his meaning was that the notion that this supervisory overreach that was clearly necessary at the time, should be maintained in perpetuity in some locations but not others, without a demonstrable factual basis. Scalia's judicial philosophy does not accept the notion that there should be open-ended blanket solutions imposed at the federal level for local issues that major or may not exist any more in those locations.

I don't normally defend Scalia, but I don't think his intent was out of line. The counter argument for maintaining the VRA approvals is that there were past patterns of racial abuse in those areas, so that's enough to justify on on-going oversight, even decades later, without real evidence of on-going abuse.

Agreed. I also think its blatantly unconstitutional to require the Southern states to submit their redistricting plans for approval while other states (some of them which may be even as racist as Southern states *cough*Illinois) don't have a worry a damn. Make it everyone or no one.

[Alexander's Horse]

you really need to turn the sound off on that U-tube clip...

[kentonio]

politicians dont have to worry much if their district lacks minorities, they can risk making them a target rather than a valued constituency

Which is why politicians who stoop to that level of scum need to be shamed nationally and kicked out of their parties.

Agreed. I also think its blatantly unconstitutional to require the Southern states to submit their redistricting plans for approval while other states (some of them which may be even as racist as Southern states *cough*Illinois) don't have a worry a damn. Make it everyone or no one.

Make it everyone then. Not that the south get to ***** too much, as neither seceding nor oppressing other US citizens are exactly constitutional either.

[Dinner]

and live giant catfish, too!

I've been to the Cebela's in Reno before but that store wasn't nearly as large as their flagship stores in the midwest. Supposedly the one in Glendale, AZ is quite large but I've never been to that one. We do have a huge (truly massive) Bass Pro Shop store in Riverside, CA which I've gone through several times which sells just about everything outdoor related including a test pond so people can take boats out and try them before they buy them plus they have a large indoor aquarium to excite the fishermen into buying more fishing gear. I'd like to see a real Cebela's in California some time but it seems the owners avoid the competition in big states like CA, NY, and FL.

[Dinner]

Agreed. I also think its blatantly unconstitutional to require the Southern states to submit their redistricting plans for approval while other states (some of them which may be even as racist as Southern states *cough*Illinois) don't have a worry a damn. Make it everyone or no one.

That ignores the fact that southern states have a two century long history of an organized and deliberate campaign of disenfranchisement aimed at both black and native voters while northern (and westerner) states do not. There is an excellent reason to single out southern states simply based on their past actions.